Many hydrocarbon recovery processes leave residual fines in the hydrocarbon product or outlet streams. The fines are most prominent in processes which involve direct production of hydrocarbon fluids from a mined material such as oil shale, coal or tar sands. Other sources of fines can include catalyst material used in hydroprocessing, hydrocracking and/or other upgrading processes. These fines are often detrimental to future use of such hydrocarbon fluids containing these fines. Typical approaches for removing fines from these fluids can include flocculation, settling, filtration and the like. However, effective removal of fines from these fluids remains a challenge. For example, extensive effort is made to remove fines from shale oil and other hydrocarbons refined from crude oils commonly using filtration. In tar sand recovery operations, a large volume of caustic tailings is produced. These tailings include caustic with some bitumen and fines suspended in the waste stream. Currently, these tailings are merely allowed to settle in large settling ponds. Effective settling of the suspended fines can take decades or centuries in some cases to dewater. Although some efforts are being made to improve options for treatment of caustic tailings, no economically effective options appear to be available.
For these and other reasons, the need remains for methods and systems which can enable substantial removal of fines from hydrocarbon-containing fluids in a cost effective manner.